Equine assisted healing for women with Grief

Equine-assisted therapy (often called “horse therapy” or “equine therapy”) has been found to help many people process grief — and women, in particular, often show strong healing outcomes. There isn’t one single reason, but research and clinical observations point to a few key factors:

1. Emotional attunement and nonverbal connection

Horses are highly sensitive to human body language, tone, and emotions. They respond authentically in the moment without judgment. For women—who are often socially conditioned to read emotions and attune to relationships—this nonverbal feedback can feel especially validating. The horse “mirrors” their inner state, helping them externalize grief that may otherwise stay hidden.

2. Safe space for vulnerability

Many grieving women report feeling pressure to stay strong for family or avoid “burdening others.” Horses provide companionship without expectations, allowing them to express grief openly. This creates a safe, non-judgmental environment where emotions can be released more freely than in traditional talk therapy.

3. Embodiment and regulation

Grief is not only psychological but also physical—affecting breathing, posture, and nervous system balance. Working with a horse requires presence, grounding, and calm body regulation. Women often describe that grooming, walking alongside, or simply breathing with the horse helps settle overwhelming grief and bring the body back into a state of balance.

4. Empowerment through care and partnership

Caring for a large, powerful animal gives a sense of agency and purpose. For many women processing loss, this caregiving role can be restorative—reawakening a sense of competence, nurturing, and connection at a time when grief can feel disempowering.

5. Social and relational healing

Equine therapy is often done in group settings. Women may find additional healing through shared experiences, storytelling, and mutual support. The horse becomes a bridge for connection—helping them rebuild trust and community after loss.

Here’s a look at recent studies and evidence—especially with implications for grief and healing in women—on why equine-assisted therapy (EAT) can be powerful.

1. Hands-On, mindfulness with horses - Grief-Focused

• a somatic model, a ground-based equine-assisted somatic coaching approach, encourages clients to work through grief actively, using direct interaction with horses as a therapeutic tool. Practice of mindfulness meditation and reiki with the horses, paired with unique therapeutic equine, assisted practices and exercise exercises are praised for its embodied, experiential nature that helps process grief in real time.

• Activities like grooming, leading, or simply being present with the horse are central—they help create a safe, emotionally attuned space outside conventional talk therapy, which can be especially powerful for emotional release .

2. Physiological Benefits

• Interaction with horses has been linked to reducing stress hormones (like cortisol) and triggering the release of oxytocin, the “bonding hormone.” These biochemical changes support emotional regulation and readiness for healing .

3. General Mental Health Benefits

• Evidence shows that equine therapy may help improve mood, social interaction, and emotional well-being across diverse populations—adults included .

• Therapeutic benefits often include enhanced assertiveness, emotional awareness, empathy, stress tolerance, flexibility, impulse control, and even support with grief and loss processing .

4. Effectiveness in Trauma and PTSD Contexts

• Equine-facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) has helped trauma survivors—particularly youth—with reductions in depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and externalizing behaviors. A few studies even reported effect sizes for internalizing symptoms that were greater than those seen in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) .

• For survivors of military sexual trauma (MST), equine therapy has shown promise in helping manage PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms by fostering emotional empowerment and bonds through non-judgmental interaction .

5. Empowerment of Abused Women

• Equine-assisted therapy has been shown to increase self-esteem, improve self-efficacy, and reduce anxiety in female survivors of domestic violence—making it a compelling modality for healing and empowerment .

Summary: Why It May Especially Help Women Grieving

• Embodied Presence & Nonverbal Bonding: The intuitive responsiveness of horses creates safety for emotional openness—an especially healing dynamic for many women who may feel pressure to appear composed or “keep it together.”

• Mind-Body Regulation: Physiological benefits like reduced cortisol and increased oxytocin directly support emotional resilience and calming nervous system states.

• Empowerment & Self-Identity Recovery: Caring for and connecting with a sensitive, powerful being can help rebuild agency, confidence, and trust—qualities often disrupted by grief or loss.

• Complementary & Adaptive: EAT doesn’t replace talk therapy, but it adds experiential, relational, and sensory-rich avenues for healing—often resonating deeply with those who find traditional therapy limiting.

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Would you like to book a 30 minute free consultation with Bhavani Noel to explore one of our group or private retreats or a coaching package tailored to your particular needs ?

We at Los Sagrados ( means the sacred ones ) are dedicated to uplifting and creating joy in your life through our Horses and Donkeys.

Our healing HERD-and our team are devoted to assisting you to finding, peace, serenity, and a deeper sense of presence, that helps you find yourself softer.

Our beautiful sanctuary is a sanctuary for humans and horses & donkeys to heal together.

We are located in a place where the ocean meets the desert with mountains that hug our ranch in El Pescadero Baja California Sur about 1 hour from the Cabo San Lucas airport and 20 minutes from the beautiful magical town of Todos Santos. Our intimate 3 night retreats are limited to 6 participants.

We have designed a very therapeutic and uplifting nourishing experience for women to Nurture their process in a safe container including :

Mindfulness meditation

Kundalini yoga

Reiki sessions with Horses equine assisted learning

Equine assisted coaching & therapy

Group fire ritual

LIMPIA a sage purification with local Medecine Woman

LOMI LOMI bodywork

Daily journaling

Mexican cooking lesson

Optional Drum Making workshop

Daily visits to 3 devoted unique beaches

Our next retreat is

NOVEMBER 20-23rd

Write to us at (hola@lossagrados.org) for more info & to book your free 30 minute intro call.